I had a discussion recently where I hurt some dear to me when and I have deeply regretted it since and certainly wish I could make any sort of amends to repair the hurt I caused this person but unfortunately there is little I can say or do in this instance because the truth is sometimes painful. The subject of ghosts came up and I explained how I had been on a mission to figure out just what was going. I grew up believing in ghosts and wee things that go bump in the night, typical Irish country bumpkin stories and visuals were reinforced regularly by sightings and more stories. I never gave it much thought until I was 14 years old and began asking serious questions of my churches priests (yes, I was Catholic) where I received zero information on this subject and many other subjects on the Catholic faith. I soon realized I would get no answers so I struck out on my own, without my Father and Mothers knowledge, to see if there were any answers for me in the secular world. This is when I somehow met a family, along with others, who said they were in contact with the other side on a regular basis and that if I wanted I could join them to see for myself one early evening. I agreed to go as an observer and wanted no part in any ceremony or any other mumbo jumbo which they assured was not required because they had a an ongoing relationship with some spirits. We went to the graveyard for added effect and sat quietly in 2 separate cars, my friend and 2 others in one car and 3 people and me in the other where we sat for about 20 minutes. Nothing was said that I could understand and it was pretty much low murmurings of wish I had no idea what was being mumbled. We waited an additional 10 minutes and then it happened. I remember this event like it happened an hour ago and still clearly see what I saw that early evening. The young guy sitting next to me, he was the son of the spooky family and about 16 years old turned towards me in the back seat and a sickly greenish/yellow glow appeared all around him like an luminous radiation or aura, it finally coalesced around his entire body and the outside edges of this illumination became clear and sharp. I sat amazed at this and kept looking for flashlights or some other means by which these people were trying to fool me, there was nothing and no one was moving or talking, I looked back to the face of the young man and saw a face begin to develop in front of his face, it was startling and but I continued to watch its formation until I saw it wasn’t a human face but rather a face that belonged on a cathedral in Paris. As I stared at the face it showed no inclination to be alive or moving, that is until did move and I saw it was very much alive as the face extended itself from the body of the greenish glow to within a couple of inches of my face where smiled and a very evil presence emanated from it and filled me with absolute fear and dread and a need to get the heck out of there. I barely managed to get the door open and fall out of the car and start running when I heard them yelling that everything was OK and I turned to see no more green glow and everything looked normal again. I stopped and went to the other car with my friend inside and told him I done here and wanted to leave for home immediately, he agree. I was confused and just didn’t know what to think at that moment but then my friend asked me was the greenish/yellow glow in the backseat with me. I nearly fell over with the realization that he had seen the glow also it wasn’t just a mind trick they had played on me. On the way home, just up the road, they were all smiling and telling me that they indeed have communications with spirits and asked me what I thought, I replied that I was convinced and needed no further proof of spirits being continually around us but I knew they were not ghosts of dead people but spirits of evil entities tied to Lucifer/Satan. After much study and investigation I found the truth of the matter answered in the Scriptures.
I am writing this because I was so struck that I had caused a dear friend to suffer but I cannot take back anything I said because the truth of God’s word is the real Truth. I realized then that there are many people who have seen or heard from loved ones after death that it is a great comfort to them something I was truly unaware of because I have a rather scientific and analytical mind when it comes to these sorts of investigation and just see in black and white or truth and non-truth. I am truly sorry for any hurt.
Question: “What does the Bible say about ghosts / hauntings?”
Answer: Is there such a thing as ghosts? The answer to this question depends on what precisely is meant by the term “ghosts.” If the term means “spirit beings,” the answer is a qualified “yes.” If the term means “spirits of people who have died,” the answer is “no.” The Bible makes it abundantly clear that there are spirit beings, both good and evil. But the Bible negates the idea that the spirits of deceased human beings can remain on earth and “haunt” the living.
Hebrews 9:27 declares, “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” That is what happens to a person’s soul-spirit after death—judgment. The result of this judgment is heaven for the believer (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23) and hell for the unbeliever (Matthew 25:46; Luke 16:22-24). There is no in-between. There is no possibility of remaining on earth in spirit form as a “ghost.” If there are such things as ghosts, according to the Bible, they absolutely cannot be the disembodied spirits of deceased human beings.
The Bible teaches very clearly that there are indeed spirit beings that can connect with and appear in our physical world. The Bible identifies these beings as angels and demons. Angels are spirit beings who are faithful in serving God. Angels are righteous, good, and holy. Demons are fallen angels, angels who rebelled against God. Demons are evil, deceptive, and destructive. According to 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, demons masquerade as “angels of light” and as “servants of righteousness.” Appearing as a “ghost” and impersonating a deceased human being definitely seem to be within the power and abilities that demons possess.
The closest biblical example of a “haunting” is found in Mark 5:1-20. A legion of demons possessed a man and used the man to haunt a graveyard. There were no ghosts involved. It was a case of a normal person being controlled by demons to terrorize the people of that area. Demons only seek to “kill, steal, and destroy” (John 10:10). They will do anything within their power to deceive people, to lead people away from God. This is very likely the explanation of “ghostly” activity today. Whether it is called a ghost, a ghoul, or a poltergeist, if there is genuine evil spiritual activity occurring, it is the work of demons.
What about instances in which “ghosts” act in “positive” ways? What about psychics who claim to summon the deceased and gain true and useful information from them? Again, it is crucial to remember that the goal of demons is to deceive. If the result is that people trust in a psychic instead of God, a demon will be more than willing to reveal true information. Even good and true information, if from a source with evil motives, can be used to mislead, corrupt, and destroy.
Interest in the paranormal is becoming increasingly common. There are individuals and businesses that claim to be “ghost-hunters,” who for a price will rid your home of ghosts. Psychics, séances, tarot cards, and mediums are increasingly considered normal. Human beings are innately aware of the spiritual world. Sadly, instead of seeking the truth about the spirit world by communing with God and studying His Word, many people allow themselves to be led astray by the spirit world. The demons surely laugh at the spiritual mass-deception that exists in the world today.
I am writing this because I was so struck that I had caused a dear friend to suffer but I cannot take back anything I said because the truth of God’s word is the real Truth. I realized then that there are many people who have seen or heard from loved ones after death that it is a great comfort to them something I was truly unaware of because I have a rather scientific and analytical mind when it comes to these sorts of investigation and just see in black and white or truth and non-truth. I am truly sorry for any hurt.
Question: “What does the Bible say about ghosts / hauntings?”
Answer: Is there such a thing as ghosts? The answer to this question depends on what precisely is meant by the term “ghosts.” If the term means “spirit beings,” the answer is a qualified “yes.” If the term means “spirits of people who have died,” the answer is “no.” The Bible makes it abundantly clear that there are spirit beings, both good and evil. But the Bible negates the idea that the spirits of deceased human beings can remain on earth and “haunt” the living.
Hebrews 9:27 declares, “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” That is what happens to a person’s soul-spirit after death—judgment. The result of this judgment is heaven for the believer (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23) and hell for the unbeliever (Matthew 25:46; Luke 16:22-24). There is no in-between. There is no possibility of remaining on earth in spirit form as a “ghost.” If there are such things as ghosts, according to the Bible, they absolutely cannot be the disembodied spirits of deceased human beings.
The Bible teaches very clearly that there are indeed spirit beings that can connect with and appear in our physical world. The Bible identifies these beings as angels and demons. Angels are spirit beings who are faithful in serving God. Angels are righteous, good, and holy. Demons are fallen angels, angels who rebelled against God. Demons are evil, deceptive, and destructive. According to 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, demons masquerade as “angels of light” and as “servants of righteousness.” Appearing as a “ghost” and impersonating a deceased human being definitely seem to be within the power and abilities that demons possess.
The closest biblical example of a “haunting” is found in Mark 5:1-20. A legion of demons possessed a man and used the man to haunt a graveyard. There were no ghosts involved. It was a case of a normal person being controlled by demons to terrorize the people of that area. Demons only seek to “kill, steal, and destroy” (John 10:10). They will do anything within their power to deceive people, to lead people away from God. This is very likely the explanation of “ghostly” activity today. Whether it is called a ghost, a ghoul, or a poltergeist, if there is genuine evil spiritual activity occurring, it is the work of demons.
What about instances in which “ghosts” act in “positive” ways? What about psychics who claim to summon the deceased and gain true and useful information from them? Again, it is crucial to remember that the goal of demons is to deceive. If the result is that people trust in a psychic instead of God, a demon will be more than willing to reveal true information. Even good and true information, if from a source with evil motives, can be used to mislead, corrupt, and destroy.
Interest in the paranormal is becoming increasingly common. There are individuals and businesses that claim to be “ghost-hunters,” who for a price will rid your home of ghosts. Psychics, séances, tarot cards, and mediums are increasingly considered normal. Human beings are innately aware of the spiritual world. Sadly, instead of seeking the truth about the spirit world by communing with God and studying His Word, many people allow themselves to be led astray by the spirit world. The demons surely laugh at the spiritual mass-deception that exists in the world today.
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